Currency
You are reading a medical journal from 1996 and find conflicting information in a journal from 2008. Which should you defer to regarding currency?
2008
You are trying to see whether vaccines are effective or not. You find a research article on the treatment of ADHD and an article on the efficacy of smallpox vaccines. Which should you use to further your research?
Smallpox research
A podcaster has a guest on who claims to be an expert makes the assertion that climate change is fake. What research should you do to confirm their expertise?
See if they have any publications, articles, credentials, etc.
If a source has many spelling and grammar errors, it might lack this.
Question: What is accuracy?
Understanding whether a source is trying to inform, sell, entertain, or persuade helps determine this.
What is purpose?
This is the first thing you check to see if the information is recent enough for your topic.
What is the publication date?
If a source is interesting but doesn’t help answer your research question, it lacks this.
What is relevance?
You might look for this section at the bottom of a webpage to evaluate the publisher’s credibility.
What is the “About” page?
A Wikipedia article claims you can cure cancer by eating 5 apples a day. A student doing research checks the link on a picture provided in the article. They find the link is from a reliable source. What has the student done wrong in checking the reliability of the article?
They checked the source of the PICTURE, not the INFORMATION
What is the definition of Currency?
This refers to the timeliness of the information
What is the definition of relevance?
This evaluates the importance and appropriateness of the information for your specific needs or topic
What is the definition of Authority?
This assesses the source of the information, including the author's qualifications and the publisher's reputation
What is the definition of Accuracy?
This checks the reliability and truthfulness of the information.
What is the definition of Purpose?
This examines the reason the information was created
An article was written in 1990. However, you check when it was last updated and it says 2025. Is this a reliable source of info? Why?
Yes, if it is being actively updated it is considered current
A fourth-grade science project might not require scholarly articles, but this type of article is needed for a college thesis.
What is a peer-reviewed journal article?
This type of evidence should back up the claims made in an article.
What are citations or references?
An article funded by a political group may not have this kind of objective purpose.
What is an unbiased or neutral purpose?
This is the term for when information is no longer useful due to being outdated, especially in fields like technology, science, or current events.
What is obsolescence?
A tiktok star makes a bold claim about supplements. They provide sources to their claim. You follow the link and find the source is sponsored by the supplement company. Is this tiktoker a reliable piece of information? Why?
No! The source is the sponsor. They are trying to make money!
A political group advertises that a medical treatment is unhealthy, while a non-profit medical journal says it is not. They both provide sources. How can you determine the reliability of each?
Understand their purpose. A political group is likely trying to influence your vote and opinion. A non-profit is likely not